Revisiting World Series Odds & MLB Futures After Wild Trade Deadline

The MLB Trade Deadline almost always provides bettors and fans alike with a ton of excitement. But this year will go down as one of the wildest, most action-packed deadlines in the history of the league. With future Hall of Famers, Cy Young winners, and MVP candidates on the move, the playoff race just heated up to a full boil. The contenders are going all in, while the pretenders have folded to invest in and preserve the futures of their franchises. 

Speaking of futures, ScoresAndOdds constantly monitors the ever-changing currents of the MLB Futures market. Last week’s plethora of moves produced a ripple effect on the 2021 World Series odds, as well as a handful of player awards. Many teams distinguished themselves as truly worthwhile short-term investments, and many others turned into longshots. 

Now that the smoke has cleared from the Trade Deadline, let’s dive into the best MLB Futures bets and values at online sportsbooks with two months of regular season baseball left. 

2021 MLB Futures Update

All odds are from BetMGM and DraftKings. All stats are from MLB.com and Baseball Reference. 

Best Bet: Los Angeles Dodgers to Win World Series (+300)

Admittedly, at the start of the season I didn’t love the Dodgers at +350 to repeat as World Series Champions. Now at +300, I can’t possibly tell you to shy away. After acquiring three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer and MVP candidate Trea Turner from Washington, Los Angeles is absolutely loaded at every level, and I can’t imagine a better World Series bet. 

Scherzer solidifies the No. 2 spot in the Dodgers’ rotation vacated by Trevor Bauer (ongoing issues stemming from sexual assault allegations). He gives LA a steady, often-dominating presence two times a week, and come playoff time, two times per five game series. Pairing Scherzer with current Cy Young frontrunner Walker Buehler (+300) just seems unfair. If Julio Urias can retain his solid form as a first-year full-time starter, and Clayton Kershaw and the recently-acquired Danny Duffy can get healthy, it might be game-set-match in the NL. 

The Dodgers just got two-time MVP Mookie Betts and 2020 World Series MVP Corey Seager back from the IL, making their already-lethal lineup practically impossible to face. Chris Taylor has enjoyed an All-Star, breakout season and leads the NL in runs (78). Albert Pujols has eight homers and has batted .269 as a Dodger. AJ Pollock has slashed .304/.357/.531 this season. 

The defending champions rank second in runs (560), home runs (158), and OBP (.336), despite injuries and a bizarre down year from Cody Bellinger. And they lead the majors in team ERA (3.18) and batting average against (.213). They are one strikeout away from the MLB lead in strikeouts (1061), and one tenth of a percentage point away from the top team WHIP (1.13). 

If they get to October with 85 percent of their roster intact, the Dodgers are the best bet to win it all once again. 

Best Value Bet: San Francisco Giants to Win World Series (+1300) 

I would have gone with the San Diego Padres at +1100 but they didn’t do enough to bolster their rotation at the deadline. Alas, I am going with the Giants, who just keep truckin’ as the best team in the bigs, despite virtually nobody putting any respect on their name. 

San Francisco has Kevin Gausman pitching himself to Cy Young candidacy, Buster Posey and Brandon Crawford are legitimate MVP candidates, and they just acquired an MVP in Kris Bryant (cue the San Francisco Bryants shirts!). This team has great pitching, great offense, great defense, and great coaching led by manager Gabe Kapler. 

Doubters will say that the timely offense cannot be sustained, or that the rotation is not strong enough for a long October, but I think the Giants deserve much shorter odds than +1300. They are the No. 1 team in the MLB 105 games in, despite playing in the best division in the sport—what more do they have to do!?

Best American League Value Bet: Toronto Blue Jays to Win ALCS (+1400)

Whether you’ve been paying attention or not, the Toronto Blue Jays have been on a tear lately. They are finally back home at Rogers Centre, after having to play in Florida during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. For the Blue Jays and their fans, it’s good to be home.  

Toronto has become the most powerful team in the MLB, pacing the majors in home runs (159), slugging (.458), and OPS (.787). Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has 33 homers and 83 RBI, to go with a slash rate of .327/.424/.654. Marcus Semien has retained the role of MVP-contending infielder he had assumed before getting traded from Oakland. And outfielders Teoscar Hernandez and George Springer continue to rake, regardless of if pundits believe in them. 

After acquiring stud ace Jose Berrios from Minnesota, the Blue Jays now have the pitching rotation to make a deep run, too. The 27-year old righty from Puerto Rico brings an 8-5 record, 3.31 ERA, 1.042 WHIP and 133/33 K/BB ratio to Toronto, and he’s already delivered his new club a gem performance. Berrios pitched six scoreless innings in his Jays debut against the Royals Sunday, striking out seven while only allowing six total baserunners. 

Atop Toronto’s rotation, Berrios joins Robbie Ray (9-5, 3.04 ERA, 1.065 WHIP, 150/30 K/BB), who has been pitching like a Cy Young candidate; Hyun Jin Ryu (10-5, 3.26 ERA, 1.138 WHIP), who has been solid when healthy; and Ross Stripling, who has looked much improved over the past month. With 23-year old Alek Manoah (3-1, 2.47 ERA, 0.972 WHIP, 56/16 K/BB) regaining form after coming off the IL, and Toronto’s bullpen shaping up with newly-acquired closer Brad Hand, the horizon is looking quite bright for Jays fans. 

More MLB Futures Bets

Robbie Ray +3000 to Win AL Cy Young – Ray has very quietly been the most consistently effective pitcher of the American League this season. Forget the All-Star Game he got snubbed from, this guy could legitimately win the Cy Young. He has allowed four earned runs in just three of his 20 starts, and averaged just under six innings per start. With Toronto’s offense in peak form, Ray has accumulated seven wins since June. If he keeps up that torrid pace, and continues to dominate as the Jays rise in the standings, he could really pay off for his investors. 

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. +450 to Win AL MVP – It may sound crazy to suggest anyone other than Japanese two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani will win AL MVP, given he can dominate in the batter’s box, on the mound, and on the basepaths. But Vlad has been much more impressive since winning All-Star MVP honors, and he’s my frontrunner if the Jays continue to win while the Angels continue to slide. The peripherals are there for the 23-year old stud: 33 homers, 83 RBI, slash lines of .327/.424/.654 (OPS of 1.078). If Vlad stays healthy, he could steal MVP honors from Showtime. 

Walker Buehler +300 to Win NL Cy Young – I love Kevin Gausman and Brandon Woodruff, but Buehler has been otherworldly for the reigning champs this season. He has an 11-1 record (MLB-best .917 winning percentage), a 2.17 ERA, and an 0.899 WHIP. He has struck out 139 of the 522 batters he has faced, and issued just 31 free passes. Opponents are batting just .190 on the season. The most impressive part of his season? He has gone six-plus innings in 20 of his 21 starts this season, averaging an efficient 97.2 pitches per outing. Buehler runs away with this one, in my opinion. 

Fernando Tatis Jr. -134 to Win NL MVP – Give me the chalk on this one, as well. Ever since Braves slugger Ronald Acuna Jr. suffered a season-ending injury, Tatis has rightfully been the leader of the clubhouse for NL MVP. He’s a revelation—a world-class hitter with blazing speed and ever-improving defense. Of course, it helps that he’s a likeable guy, almost universally respected by his peers and the national media alike. And the Padres’ addition of All-Star second baseman Adam Frazier gives Tatis more op